Information Statements – employer obligations
Employers are required to provide information statements to all new employees, including casual and part-time, prior to commencing employment or as soon as possible once they commence.
These information statements are:
• The Fair Work Information Statement
• Casual Employment Information Statement (if applicable)
• Fixed- Term Contract Information Statement (if applicable)
The Fair Work Information Statement (FWIS)
The FWIS provides new and current employees with information about their conditions of employment and outlines the National Employment Standards, rights and entitlements of employees under Australian Workplace Laws. Employers are required to provide this statement to all new employees, including casual and part-time, prior to commencing employment or as soon as possible once they commence. If there are any changes made to the FWIS, then it must be re-issued to all employees.
Casual Employment Information Statement (CEIS)
The CEIS provides new and current employees with information about their conditions of employment. A CEIS must be provided to new casual employees before, or as soon as possible after they have started employment.
Under the new Casual Employment legislative changes which came into effect on the 26th August 2024, the CEIS must also be provided to casual employees at the following times during employment:
- after six and 12 months of employment and then after every 12 months employment
- after 12 months employment (for small business owners)
The CEIS was amended and re-issued on 26 August 2024 to incorporate the legislative changes, so please ensure you have issued the new August 2024 version to all current employees on casual contracts. Going forward, you are required to give casual employees the version of the CEIS that is in place when you have to issue the CEIS. Please check regularly that you are giving the correct version.
Fixed-Term Contract Information Statement (FTCIS)
The FTCIS provides employees with information about fixed-term employment, including the rules about when fixed-term contracts can be made. You must give every employee engaged on a new fixed-term contract a copy of the FTCIS when they enter into the contract.
A fixed-term employee is an employee who has a contract that terminates at the end of a set period.
In response to the legislative changes made to Casual Employment, the FTCIS was updated on 26 August 2024. Please ensure current employees on fixed-term contracts are issued with the amended FTCIS.
If you fail to provide any of these statements, you may be liable for penalties under the Fair Work Act 2009. In addition, employees may be able to make a complaint to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
If you are a Toolkit subscriber, you will have already received an email regarding the updated Casual Employment Information Statement and Fixed-Term Contract Information Statement. If you have any questions relating to any of the Information Statements or would like to consider becoming a Toolkit subscriber, please contact the WR team on 07 3872 2264 or email at workplacerelations@amaq.com.au